LMP to Back Independent Candidate for Budapest Mayor

Hungary Today 2018.12.11.

The green opposition LMP party will support Róbert Puzsér, independent candidate for Budapest mayor in next year’s municipal elections, as he aims to form “a political centre”, LMP board member Márton Kanász-Nagy said on Monday.

Puzser told the same press conference that he would need support from at least two of the three “potential centre parties”, namely LMP, Momentum and conservative Jobbik, to attain his goal.

Momentum is unwilling to negotiate, Puzsér said, adding that this attitude reminded him of the “darkest days of the [now defunct] Alliance of Free Democrats”.

Puzsér said that Jobbik had fortunately got rid of its former, radical identity but got into a “paralysed state”. He promised to help Jobbik find its new, right-of centre identity.

LMP has also got into a “grave identity crisis”, but it will easily recover because its roots are clear, Puzsér said.

The centre forces will represent those who reject both the ruling Fidesz and Christian Democrat parties, and the opposition Socialists and the Democratic Coalition, he said.

LMP said earlier that Puzsér’s Walking Budapest programme is fully compatible with its goal to promote a renewing, liveable city.